Connector.



PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

E. T. GREBNFIELD.

GONNECTOR.

. APPLIOA'EIOR -ILED 051224.1906.

/ ATTORNEY 7 EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, OF KIAMESHA, NEW YORK.

CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July so, 1907.

Application to om: 4,1906. sum Io. 340,401.

To ail whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, Enwm T. GREENl-IELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kiamesha,'in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have iu vented certain new and useful Improvements in Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to connectors for electric conductors adapted for such uses as the connection of ,a conductor to the wall of a junction box through an opening in which the conductor extends to the interior ofthebox.

.The object of the invention is to provide a connector for securing a conductor to the wall of a junction box or other support and holding it firmly thereto against all the strains to which the conductor is subjected, which is so constructed that the materials therefor are of low cost and can be shaped and assembled at a minimum e rpense of time and labor. This object is attained forming the major part of the connector from a sheetmetal blank which may be stamped from a sheet of metal, as by a punch-press, and bent to the desired shape rapidly and at small expense. This part isprovided at one end with a clamping device which may be;

tightened up to grip a conductor extending therethr'ough and at the other with means for securing it to a suitable attaching device.

The attaching device may be of any suitable f rm;

depending to some extent on the use to which the complete connector is to be put; it is preferably a metal casting, hollow to permit the conductor to pass therethrough, and having notches to receive integral projections on the sheet-metal part to securethe two parts together.

I have illustrated the pr ferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the connector shown as securing a conductor to a junction box wall, F ig. 2 is a section of the connector, Figs. 3 and 4 are views of oppo site ends thereof, F its. 5 to 8, inclusive, are views of the sheet metal partillustrating the steps in the manu- .facture thereof and Fig. 9 is'a view of the attaching device.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a junction box having an opening in the side wall thereof through which the end of a conductor B is to he carried to the interior of the box, the conductor being provided pref- Iembly with on ensuring L- of spirally-formed metallic strip. The conductor is secured to the wall of the box by a connector C consisting of a sheet-metal part c and an attaching device d secured together as hereinafter described. The device :1 is a hollow casting and of any suitable size and shape; the form shown in the drawing may be employed or the device may be of considerable length and be curved intermediate its ends. At its rear end it has a threaded portion d and a shoulder (2 adjacent thereto so that this threaded end my be i is stamped out to a generally rectangular shape and curled to cylindrical form.

The preferred shape of the blank is shown in Fig. 5, integral projections L" being provided along one edge and integral ours c with openings therethrough at the ends of the opposite edge. The blank thus formed is cut inwardly from the inner edges of the ears 0 as at c", the ends of the blank curled upwardly and the ears c bent at an angle to the body df the blank, all as shown in Fig. 6 and all of which may be performed in a single operation. The curling of the blank is then continued until the latter is of cylindrical iorm, -the edges of the blank being brought together and the ears c lying parallel and separated by a short space, as shown in Fig. 7. The projections 4 are provided for securing the part to the attaching device and for this purpose they may, in a succeeding operation, be bent outwardly at an incline to thgaxis of the connector, forming the part c, and then inwardly, forming the parts c? paralleling the axis of the connector. I" or conveniene in assembling the parts the extreme ends of theiptgjections it may he notched, as shown, forming two teeth thereon.

Theshoulder (1 above referred to is preferably formed by providing a peripheral flange on the attaching device and in this flange is cut a number of notches d equal to the number of projections 1/, the side walls of these notches being inclined as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The outer end of the attaching device is preferably beveled off at d at'an incline to the axis corresponding to the inclination of the portions c of the projections 6.

As thus constructed, the two parts are assembled by bringing them together with their axes coinciding until the beveled portion 11 engagesthe inclined portions c and the ends c ofthe projections 0 lie in the notches d. The ends a are then spread to till the notches d, as by striking t hem centrally with an edged tool, so that they coact with the inclined walls'of the notches to form .dove-tail joints between the two parts, as shown in Fig. 1. This holds the parts together so firmly that under all the conditions of use of-the connector, they will not be pulled loose. A bolt 0 is then inserted through the openings in the ears 0 and a nut c screwed up on its threaded end. By tightening this nut the ears c may be drawn together, thus contracting the outer end of the connector until the walls thereof grip and firmly, hold a conductor extending through the connector and into the box.

Havingdescribed my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. The combination of a junction-box having an opening in I wall thereof and a connector for holding a conductor with ita cnd extending through an ld opening connintlng of I a aheet'metal blank lwnt-to cylindrical form. a hollow mhtallic attaching dcvlce sccuied to one end of mid cylindrical part and formed to facilitate securing it to the wall of said box. and means f r -ontrncting the other end ut the connector to grip a. LufldilClOl, substantially In denclihcd.

2. The combination at a junction-box having an opening in a wall ther of and :1 connector holding a conductor with its l-nd oxlvnding through said opening consisting of n aim-t'mctal blank hunt to cylindrical form. a hollow metallic attaching device secured to one end of said cylindrlral part and formed to taciliute securing it to n will oi said box. integral. outwardly-turned parallel ears at the other end of said cylindrical part, and means enacting with said earn for contracting the end of the conncctor to grip .1 conductor. substantially-an described.

it. connect-n consisting of a sheet-metal hialk'bent to cylindrical tnrm. integral prniectiona at one end thereof, a hollow mrtnllir attaching device to which said llffljt'tfilflflli nrv aecur -d having a threaded portion to facilitate accuring it to a support. and means-for contracting thiother end of said cylindrical 'pnrt to grip a conductor. substantially as iii-scribed.

4. connector consisting of a sheebmetal blank bent to cylindrical form. integral prujectionl at one end thereof, a hollow metallic altar-him: (ii-vice towhich said projoctiona are avcuri-d having a threaded end. a nut thri-mir-d on mid cn i. int gral outwurdl) -xtn-nrling parallel ears at the on podhend oi the cylindrical part and meant; counting with said mmor contracting tin our! of the comn-clur to grip a v-aiiiurinr. mbetuntinlly an (i 't-illiliid.

3. mnnu'tor ('iiDRiRtill}! nt 51 sh et-metal hlnnk bent to cylindrical form. means at one l'nd then-of for contracting mid curl to grip a conductor. integral projections at the opwmilc end. an attaching (Al'VlL'G having a threaded end and :1 Peripheral tlnng on said device having notches tin-win. aio proj ctions extending into said notches and cnm'lin: with the walls thrvui' to secure the attaching to the sheet-metal part. substantially as described.

0. A connector-consisting or a rectangular aheetqneul blanlr having intrgrnl cars at. opposite nidcn thereof with openings thercthrouah and cuts extending inwardly of the hianit from the side of said earn, said blank being curled to cylindrical form and mid Para helng hent outwardly parallel to with other. means cont-ting with said ears for moving them relatively, an annular metallic attaching device accured to one end of said cylindrical part and having a threaded portion. and a nut on said threaded portion necuring the connertor in a support, substantially as dearrihed.

7. A connector consisting or a rectangular sheet-metal blank having integral ears at opposite sides thereof with openings therethrnugh. cuts extending inwardly of the blank from the aide of said elm. and integral projections on a third nidc of maid blank, said blank being curled to cylindrical form. Mid earn hi-ing bent outwardly parallel to each other And said proji-ctiona aerving to secure the connector to a support. and means concting with said ears for moving them relatively, suhatantlnlly as described.

8. The combination of a junction-box having an opening in a wnli thereof and a connector for holding a conductor with its end entering said opening consisting of a rectangular flhret-metai blank having integral earn at opposite aides then-of with opening: thnrnthrmnzh. and onto extending inwardly of the blank from thev side at said earn. said blank inning curled to cylindrical form and said ears being lmnt: outwardly paraih-l to ench other; means conctlng with said was !or moving them relatively. said connector having I threaded end extending within said opening in the wall of the box. and a nut on said threaded. en'd Hem-ring the connc'ctor to said wail. substantially as dencribed.

Thin apccliicntion signed and witnessed this 23d day of October, H06. 7 t 

